No more regrets
by Nayukuo
Summary: With Tenten on the brink of death is there anything she might regret not doing? Nejiten one shot


**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto; all right belong to its respective copy right holder. Believe me, if I did own Naruto the Sand siblings would have been back on long ago and Neji and Tenten would have more scenes together. **

**No more regrets**

"Ouch. God damn it."

Tenten winced as she gingerly touched the sizeable wound in her side, curtsey of on slaughter of kunai that had found its mark.

"Don't touch it. You'll make it worse." Neji's usual calm voice had an edge of panic to it as he batted Tenten's hand away and attempted to stem the blood flow with a roll of bandages.

"Hurry it up. I want to go out there and kill the bastards who did this to me."

"You won't be going anywhere." Neji said through gritted teeth as he reached for a clean cloth, his hands stained red from Tenten's blood.

Neji had never seen his comrade this badly injured before, her skin paling rapidly and a seemingly endless flow of blood from several of her major arteries.

_This was supposed to be a simple C ranked mission. Escort the leather worker from point A to point B… No enemy ninja, no bizarrely twisted client who runs straight out into the line of fire to fetch his tools, no weapons master better than Tenten …_

Neji's thought were not pleasant ones as he struggled to keep Tenten from dying.

_Lee__, I hope you're taking good care of the client wherever you are. How the hell did you get separated from us?!  
_Tenten groaned, her eyes flickering shut as another wave of pain rolled through her. "Don't close your eyes." Neji scolded, reaching for a flask of water and tipping the freezing liquid over Tenten, washing away the blood caked on her chin.

"Gah! What the hell was that for?!"

"To make sure you don't do it again!" Neji muttered, giving up the wound in her side and switching to a nasty looking one in her arm.

_God damn it… I hope this arm doesn't have to be amputated._Neji examined the mangled limb.

_Okay…Skip this._

He dropped her arm and realized for the first time blood was spilling down from a deep gash in her face, just below her eye.

_Now, _that _I can treat._

He dropped the stained cloth he was holding and unfurled a new one, grasping her chin and tilting her head.

"Close your eyes. This is going to sting a bit." He warned her, dabbing gently at the wound.

"Shhhhhhhhnap! That burns!"

"I did warn you."

"Shut up."

Neji would have smirked had the situation not been as dire as it was. He gently finished cleaning the wound and applied a bandage, as if this simple act would prevent his best friend in the whole world from being in pain.

"You know Neji… I don't think I'm going to live." Tenten mused as the bandage around her leg fell off, to soaked in blood to remain where it was.

"Don't say that! Especially in that sort of tone!"

Tenten grimaced. "Ah… Well I don't want to go out screaming and crying like a baby. Trust me, this is little more than bravo." She assured him, pulling herself up into a sitting position.

"Neji, the helps not arriving for at least another half hour. And at this rate I'm going to bleed myself dry in about three minutes. You know as well as I do I'm not gonna make it." She said, her brown eyes glistening with unshed tears in response to the unbearable pain she was experiencing.

"Tenten. _I will not let you die_. You're much too young to die."

"This doesn't sound like you. Normally you would be all '_in the world of shinobi, noble sacrifices are made'_." Tenten epically failed at attempting mimic Neji's voice, sounding more like a drunken squirrel than the Hyuuga.  
"That was before I met Naruto Uzamaki. Friends are precious to me."

"Ahh… In that case Neji, If I live - -."

"– When we get back to Konoha." Neji corrected through bared teeth.

"– You have to take me out for ramen." Tenten said, ignoring Neji completely as he attempted to lighten her mood.

"Sure." Neji promised, his alarm raising as the blood streaming from her leg grew thinner, a sure sign there not much left.

"All though, There is _one _thing I will regret not doing if I die."

"You won't." Neji assured her.

"Humor me, Neji." Tenten sighed; her expression would have been entertained had she not been on the brink of death.

"What than? Is this something I can assist with?"

"I would think so." Tenten chuckled, the light in her eyes starting to dim, the hand Neji was desperately clinging to beginning to lose warmth.

"Come here." She demanded.

Neji leant forward and Tenten wrapped her free arm around Neji's neck, drawing him closer.

Her lips brushed lightly against his. Plenty of warmth there.

She drew back, leaning heavily against the tree, she examined his expression. "You don't seem that surprised." She observed.

"I was sort of hoping you would do that."

Tenten grinned, the last of the light draining from her eyes, her grip on Neji's hand tightened for a moment than went slack.

"No! God damn it Tenten! I still owe you ramen!"

Neji leapt to his feet in one fluid movement, scoping Tenten up he made a mad dash through the line of fire and back to Konoha.

_Three days later_

"So, Tsunade letting me out any time soon?"

Neji shook his head, watching in amusement as Tenten attempted to eat Ramen with one arm in a sling and the other wrapped in bandages.

"Not for at least another week." Neji answered, catching a noodle that fell from Tenten's chopsticks before it landed on the bed sheets.

"We're not allowed to have food in here, so don't leave behind any evidence." Neji murmured, tossing the noodle into the trash bin.

"Tenten. If you dare die on me like that again, I swear I'll kill you."

"You realize how very little sense that makes."

"It's a death threat. Doesn't need to make sense."

Tenten gave a frustrated sigh as she dropped her chopsticks for the eighth time, spraying the bed in sauce despite Neji's warning.

Neji smirked. "Allow me." He offered, putting his own ramen aside and reaching for Tenten's.

"This is very coupley." Tenten commented opening her mouth as Neji delicately held out the chopsticks.

"Hmmm. weren't you the one who would regret it if we weren't."

"So… Does that mean we _are _a couple?" She wondered Neji snickered and reached for more noodles.

"The rest of the leaf village seems to think so."

"Oh?" Tenten inquired, as Neji offered her more ramen. She opened her mouth obediently.

"Well, I _have _spent most of my time here rather than any were else and apparently I looked a little over emotional when I bought you in."

"You? Emotional? _Never!_"

"That's what I said." Neji answered, putting aside the empty bowl.

"So, are we a couple?" Tenten asked, slightly afraid that answer might be a refusal.

Neji smirked. "You have doubts?" He asked, gently taking her hand, reconsidering when he remembered it was ten times bulker due to bandages.

"Hah! Now I feel _much _better!"

"I would certainly hope so."

"Does this make me your fan girl?"

"My own fan girl? I'm flattered."

"You already have your own club. I don't think you need another fan girl."

"Fan girls are annoying. So I guess that means you aren't one." Neji corrected, standing to gather the bowls.

"Neji?"

"Yes?"

"I want miso flavored pie."

"They make that?"

"I have _no _idea. But before I died I had this sudden craving for it. To hell if they don't make it, if I die again _that's _what I'm gonna' regret missing out on."

"You are one very strange person, Tenten." Neji sighed, putting the bowls in the sink, and getting a damp cloth to dab on the stained bed spread, curtsey of Tenten's eating skills.

"You love me for it."

"I suppose."

"Yay! Miso flavored pie!"


End file.
